System and method for tracking and managing construction projects

ABSTRACT

System and methods are described for assisting a contractor in managing information associated with a construction project. The amount of information relating to labor, materials, scheduling and billing and the number of individuals accessing the information can be overwhelmingly large for even a simple construction project. As such, the system and methods described are particularly useful for gathering, maintaining and disseminating the voluminous amount of information associated with a construction project. In one method, a drawing from a construction project is provided that has one or more intelligent objects. Information is then gathered relating to labor, materials and schedules for the project. The information is associated with the respective intelligent object and visually represented on the drawing. The drawing is displayed and certain aspects associated with the intelligent objects can be quickly identified. In addition, reports may be generated that quickly and efficiently organize information according to any number of user selected criteria. In some embodiments, emissive tags, such as RFID tags, associated with construction items are used in the data gathering process.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a Continuation-in-Part of copending, commonlyassigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/777,042, entitled “SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR TRACKING AND MANAGING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS” (AttorneyDocket No. 017341-001500US), filed on Feb. 5, 2001, by W. CurtisBroughton, which application is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates generally to the field of contracting,construction and project management, and in particular to the managementof materials, labor, scheduling and billing for a construction project.More specifically, the invention provides both systems and methods forassisting a contractor, supplier and/or project manager in efficientlymanaging and disseminating the information for a construction project.

[0003] One important aspect of a contractor's job is the effectivemanagement of an ongoing construction project, which includes the tightcontrol of the associated costs. Since a contractor desires to present acompetitive bid while still being able to produce a profit, estimates ofthe costs involved in completing the project need to be closelyestimated. As a result, there is usually little room to deviate from theestimated costs when the work is actually performed.

[0004] Another important aspect of a contractor's job is the monitoringof the project until completion so that adjustments can be quickly madeand there are no surprises at the end of the project. For example, iflabor went unmonitored, the end of the project may bring with it theshocking conclusion that labor far exceeded the budgeted amount. Theoverrun on labor would thus affect the bottom line profitability for theproject. Similar scenarios could be described for the on-time deliveryof materials used in a project. An early warning on material and laborissues can greatly help prevent such surprises that affectprofitability.

[0005] Such a task can be challenging because construction managementinvolves the gathering and managing of large amounts of information frommultiple sources concerning the material delivery, labor costs,scheduling of events and billing for an ongoing project. For largeprojects, the amount of information to capture, track and manage can beoverwhelming.

[0006] A particularly time consuming aspect of a contractor's job is thegathering of data for a construction project. In a perfect world, datais captured or generated from a single source at a single location.However, a construction project is far from a perfect world. In mostcases, information is captured by various unrelated data captureprograms or generated from a multitude of dissimilar sources. A largenumber of hours can be spent and wasted gathering and organizing theinformation. Since data capture can be such a time consuming endeavor,it expends valuable time that a contractor could spend on other, moreprofitable tasks.

[0007] Hence, it would be desirable to provide systems and methods whichwould assist the contractor in gathering, managing, tracking anddisseminating the voluminous amount of information necessary to controlthe profitability of a construction project. It would be furtherdesirable if such systems and methods provided an early indication ofareas of cost concern.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A typical construction project has several aspects that must beefficiently handled by the construction project manager to successfullyoversee a project. For example, one aspect is the controlling of costssince cost overruns can significantly affect profitability. Anotheraspect is schedule management. To do his or her job effectively, themanager must be kept apprised of any problems that could potentiallydelay the project, such as labor concerns or material problems. Ifproblems are detected early, measures may be taken to avoid unnecessarydelays. Hence, one goal of construction project managers is to minimizecosts in order to maximize profitability. Another goal is to completethe project in a timely manner without cost overruns and unnecessaryadditional incidental charges.

[0009] Another aspect of project management is billing for completedtasks. Costs for a project should be borne by the responsible party.Improper billing causes costs to be improperly allocated. If a portionof the project is complete or materials for the project have beenreceived, this cost should be charged to the customer and not borne bythe project financier.

[0010] To accomplish such tasks, a construction manager mustsuccessfully manage large amounts of information that often accompaniesa construction project. To this end, the invention provides techniquesto make such information readily accessible, easily portable and clearlydisplayable. Since the information may come from a variety of differentsources and locations, the invention also provides techniques tointegrate the information from multiple sources into a single location.

[0011] In one aspect, the invention provides techniques for planning,managing and evaluating large amounts of information often associatedwith a construction project. To accomplish such a task, the inventionutilizes an electronic drawing having a number of intelligent objects.Conveniently, each construction item for the project that is shown inthe electronic drawing may function as an intelligent object and haveassociated information. The information and association data are storedon computer readable memory for easy retrieval, such as by selecting theitem with a pointing device. Color coding or other visual indicators maybe used to represent the associated information, thereby allowing for avisual representation of the underlying information. In addition, adetailed description of the associated information may be obtained inuser generated reports.

[0012] Information may be associated with intelligent objects in avariety of ways. One aspect of the invention provides the ability toscope information for labor completion and material delivery. Forexample, an update option may be provided for updating labor status. Theinvention provides a labor status menu in response to selecting thelabor status option, which may be visually represented by an optionbutton or the like on an electronic drawing. The labor status menucontains a selectable list of various labor tasks. Selecting one of thelabor tasks returns a drop down pick list. The drop-down pick listspecifies, in response to user input, the location of the completedlabor for the chosen labor task. In addition, further drop-down menusmay be provided in response to selecting items from the pick list. Theadditional drop-down menus provide for the entry of an even greaterlevel of specificity regarding the location of the completed labor forthe chosen labor task. Similar steps may be carried out for updatingmaterial delivery.

[0013] Once information is entered into the drop down pick lists andmenus, the processor automatically updates the stored completioninformation for the selected scope. The stored information may then beused to flag the appropriate intelligent item(s) on the associatedelectronic drawing. In addition, for a labor status update, theprocessor automatically credits the estimated labor for the appropriateintelligent item(s) corresponding to a completed labor task.

[0014] There are many different types of information associated with aconstruction project that the invention is capable of processing. Forexample, such information may include labor information, materialinformation, scheduling information, billing information, and the like.Having such information readily available from an electronic drawingallows for a quick and easy determination of the status of displayedconstruction items through a visual assessment. More specifically, theintelligent objects in the electronic drawing of the invention may befurther broken down and analyzed according to specific information suchas labor, material, scheduling and billing.

[0015] The project manager may generate a vast number of reports thatillustrate the visually depicted information as shown, but provide agreater amount of detailed information in written form. Instead ofproviding the information in a random fashion, the invention providesnumerous filters a project manager can utilize to extract and presentthe essential information he or she wishes to view in the reports. Suchreport filters include a particular drawing, floor, system, area orgrouping of construction items to name a few. For example, the filtersmay provide a project manager with accurate and up-to-date informationregarding areas that are scheduled for completion, as well as areas thathave been completed.

[0016] Since the amount of information for any particular category canbe quite large, the invention provides the option of breaking theinvention into one or more modules for administering the variousinformation associated with a construction project. For example, a labormodule may be provided for labor information and a material module maybe provided for material information. Each module is integrated with theelectronic drawing, and therefore, the information associated with eachintelligent object is stored and may be provided on demand.

[0017] In one aspect of the invention, labor tracking is provided fororganizing the labor associated with various construction items. Forexample, estimated labor is received and stored by a labor module.Estimated labor may be based upon historical data, but may be manuallyor electronically entered based upon a bid or estimate. The term bid maybe used interchangeably with the term estimate within the following thecontext of the following description. The labor tracking of theinvention provides techniques for storing the estimated laborinformation and for associating the information with the variousconstruction items.

[0018] The invention allows for a contractor to enter labor statusinformation into a drop-down pick list or enter labor status informationinto a personal digital assistant (PDA) or other type of computer thatcontains a visual depiction of the drawing. In this way, the contractormay enter status information into a pick list or walk around theconstruction site and enter information into a PDA regarding installeditems based upon a visual inspection. As one skilled in the art canappreciate, any method for capturing information may be used withoutdeparting from the intended scope of the invention. For example, acontractor may record an information log or check off information from ahard copy of the drawing and still achieve the same results.Periodically, actual labor is captured and entered into the labormodule. The invention credits estimated labor information and associatesthe actual labor information with the various construction items basedon the completion status of material installation. The processor storesthe status information in a computer readable memory. Further, items onthe drawing may be flagged, such as with a different color, based on theinstallation status. Once both actual labor is captured and estimatedlabor is credited, reports may be generated for a wide variety ofcomparisons.

[0019] In another aspect of the invention, material tracking is providedfor monitoring the delivery of materials for the construction project.For example, material information relating to the type of item to beinstalled is received and stored by a module. The invention thereafterprovides techniques for conveniently tracking the material from orderingthrough receipt and billing. The processor then updates the information,which is reflected in the electronic drawing. A quick visual inspectionof the electronic drawing provides simple and up-to-date informationregarding material ordering and delivery status.

[0020] In yet another aspect of the invention, schedule tracking isprovided for allocating labor and materials in response to start datesand completion dates. At the beginning of a construction project, datesare tentatively set for the completion of various phases of theconstruction project. This information is entered into the schedulingmodule. These dates are highly volatile since the smallest of delays canresult in significant changes in scheduled dates. For example, ifmaterials are late to the job site for a particular area, the labor isaffected for that area in addition to the labor required for installingthe materials in the area. The schedule tracking of the presentinvention provides techniques for recognizing problems (for example,late materials shipments and labor shortages) and automatically updatingany scheduling information in response to any delays.

[0021] In still another aspect of the invention, a billing module isprovided for billing the completed portions of the project. Since themodules are integrated, the billing module is able to bill the customerfor items such as material received, labor completed, material installedand the like. A user selects individual construction items or groups ofconstruction items on the electronic drawing for billing. Since the costfor the items to be billed is known from the original bid or estimate, abill is automatically generated. It is not necessary to visually inspectthe construction site to determine what portion of the project iscomplete for purposes of billing the project. The billing module canautomatically generate the bill based upon information entered intoother modules. In addition, the electronic drawing can visuallyrepresent the billing status which has been billed to the project.

[0022] The data gathering, application integration and data presentationof the invention may utilize multiple computers and multiple datagathering devices operating in a networked environment, such as theInternet, to share the information and results with multiple users. Theinvention therefore provides the capability for several individuals towork at multiple remote sites while remaining interconnected through anetwork, which may make use of cellular or satellite technology.However, it may be advantageous to utilize a single computer operatingat a single location. In either case, it may be possible to gather thedata and display it in real time, which allows for on-the-fly changes tothe project, as well as a quick review and analysis of the results.

[0023] The invention therefore provides a comprehensive software packagethat integrates several modules allowing for the manipulation andpresentation of information gathered from several sources. The softwareof the invention controls costs, provides scheduling features andfacilitates billing in such a way that many of the concerns of a projectmanager are far more manageable. While most software packages strugglewith integrating and presenting similar types of information fromseveral sources, the present invention conveniently provides anitem-by-item breakdown allowing for detailed analysis that is unmatchedby anything currently available in the construction industry.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present invention, emissive tags, suchas RFID tags (radio frequency identification tags), that emitcomputer-readable signals are used to identify and track constructionitems. In some of these embodiments the tags are read/write tags, whichmay receive information from workers, managers, manufacturers, and thelike. The information may be retrieved during an information gatheringprocess, which may be, for example, a construction area walk through, amaterial receiving inspection, a warehouse inventory inspection, and thelike. The information may include a unique identifier, an installedstatus, estimated labor to install the item, actual labor to install theitem, the location where the item is or is to be installed, the drawinglocations for the item, and the like. The information may be gatheredthrough a wireless connection to a reader, such as an RFID reader, andloaded into the processor of the present invention for use with otherconstruction project management functions of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025]FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a typical input device of anembodiment of the invention.

[0026]FIG. 2 illustrates tag information associated with an intelligentobject.

[0027]FIG. 2(a) illustrates material control tag information associatedwith an intelligent object.

[0028]FIG. 2(b) illustrates labor control tag information associatedwith an intelligent object.

[0029]FIG. 2(c) illustrates schedule tag information associated with anintelligent object.

[0030]FIG. 2(d) illustrates billing tag information associated with anintelligent object.

[0031]FIG. 2(e) illustrates a construction item having an emissive tag,and the associated reader and writer.

[0032]FIG. 3 illustrates a typical CAD drawing according to the presentinvention that displays associated tag information using color coding.

[0033]FIG. 4 illustrates a typical labor control drawing in accordancewith the present invention that is color coded with flagged taskidentifiers that display the labor status for various intelligentobjects.

[0034]FIG. 4(a) illustrates various drop down menus that provide userselectable options for labor completion that are displayed in responseto selecting a scoping option from an electronic drawing.

[0035]FIG. 5 is a screen print of a report screen for providing statusby scope and filter for labor information.

[0036]FIG. 6 illustrates a typical material control drawing inaccordance with the present invention that is color coded with flaggedtask identifiers that graphically display the material status forvarious intelligent objects.

[0037]FIG. 6(a) illustrates various drop down menus that provide userselectable options for various material status conditions that aredisplayed in response to selecting a scoping option from an electronicdrawing.

[0038]FIG. 7 is a screen print of a report screen for providing statusby scope and filter for material information.

[0039]FIG. 8 illustrates a typical schedule control drawing inaccordance with the present invention that is color coded with flaggedtask identifiers that graphically display the schedule status forvarious intelligent objects.

[0040]FIG. 9 is a screen print of a report screen for providing statusby scope and filter for scheduling information.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

[0041] The invention provides exemplary systems and methods that providea construction site manager with the necessary tools to gather, manageand disseminate large amounts of information accompanying a constructionproject, including but not limited to labor, materials, scheduling andbilling. The invention allows for the gathering of information from oneor more data sources and/or one or more applications and thereafterproducing both visual representations as well as printable reportsshowing the current status of various components of the constructionproject. Since the invention may be implemented in a networkenvironment, the information, reports and status can be disseminated toone or more users. The information may be displayed such that themanager can readily determine the status of many different areas of theproject, including the current material and labor status as well as thecurrent and projected schedule. The term manager as used herein mayrefer to anyone with responsibilities regarding a construction projectincluding, but in no way limited to, an owner, architect, engineer,contractor or project manager to name a few.

[0042] Although the invention is described herein using plumbing,specifically heating and cooling pipe runs, it will be appreciated thatthe invention may be used to provide construction management for a widevariety of items, including concrete, structural steel, walls, flooring,ceiling, piping, electrical, ductwork, glass, fixtures and the like.However, for convenience of discussion, the invention will be describedin connection with heating and cooling pipe work. It should beappreciated that the invention is in no way intended to be limited assuch.

[0043] There are numerous configurations for implementing the presentinvention. In one embodiment, the invention is implemented using acomputer having computer readable memory, an entry device and aprocessor. The processor stores an electronic drawing in computerreadable memory. In one embodiment, the electronic drawing may be a CADdrawing generated by any drawing package that can be adapted to receiveassociated intelligent objects, such as QuickPen Designer 3-D CADmanufactured and sold by QuickPen International, Inc. The electronicdrawing is integrated with an estimating system, such as the AutoBidestimating system manufactured and sold by QuickPen International, Inc.More specifically, but not limited as such, the computer can be anycomputer such as a fixed PC, a portable PC, a hand-held computer, awearable computer, a PDA, a bar code scanner or similar device.

[0044] In addition to operating as a single stand alone computer, theinvention may be implemented in a network environment. For example, onelocation may serve as the central processor for storing the electronicdrawings and the associated information. Several computers may accessand communicate with the central processor, either through the Internet,an intranet or similar networking configuration allowing for multipleaccess points to the electronic drawings and associated information. Inaddition, a computer may access and communicate with the centralprocessor using cellular or satellite technology. Therefore, theinformation may be updated and the drawing can be viewed from multiplelocations.

[0045] There are many different software packages that may be used inconjunction with the present invention. As such, the present inventionprovides the flexibility to integrate with accounting software packages,estimating systems, labor/billing packages and/or data capture softwarepackages. Advantageously, this flexibility allows the present inventionto be used with many software packages with little modification oneither end.

[0046] The present invention may acquire information from multiplesources. For example, information may be obtained from procurementapplications, labor gathering devices, manual input, bar-coding of itemsor groups of items, or the like. Since the information may be gatheredfrom multiple sources, the ability to integrate the information into asingle location is a particular advantage of the present invention.

[0047] In a basic form, the present invention provides an electronicdrawing with associated construction items. Each construction itemgraphically represents a single component for a construction project.For any given construction project, there may be a single electronicdrawing or up to several hundred electronic drawings showing all theconstruction items to be installed. As one skilled in the art canappreciate, each drawing may depict a single construction item orseveral hundred construction items. In one embodiment, the electronicdrawing may be a CAD drawing, but other types of electronic drawings maybe used without departing from the intended scope of the invention.

[0048] A construction project and the accompanying electronic drawingscan be organized and divided according to the particular needs of theconstruction project. Typically, the project is broken down into aseries of drawings that represent the individual floors or floor plans.If greater detail is desired, the drawings for the individual floors canthen be broken down into areas or zones within the floor. If evengreater detail is preferred, the drawings may be broken down evenfurther into individual components, which are the individualconstruction items. The present invention provides the necessarytechniques for a level of detail ranging from a top level drawingindividual floor or floor plans all the way down to an individualcomponent drawing.

[0049] Unlike currently available electronic drawings, there may beseveral categories of user defined information associated with eachconstruction item that can be stored in computer memory and retrieved ondemand. According to the present invention, creating an association withdetailed construction information transforms a simple construction iteminto an intelligent object. Therefore, the present invention providesmethods and techniques for creating intelligent objects usingconstruction items in a computer drawing. Each construction item doesnot lose any of its original qualities. Instead, the transformationprovides additional information that makes it more useful to aconstruction project manager.

[0050] One particular advantage of the invention is the utilization ofintelligent objects that provide detailed information about the item,such as estimated and actual labor, material delivery status, schedulingand the like. Such detailed information can provide an early warning ofpossible cost overruns and scheduling issues. As such, the projectmanager can possibly avoid unnecessary expenses or allocate costs to theproper individual(s) or organization responsible for the additionalcosts. For example, the detailed information can provide the underlyingdocumentation to back a claim against a distributor that negligentlycreated an unnecessary delay.

[0051] A construction manager can utilize intelligent objects to helpefficiently direct a construction project thereby maximizingprofitability. Since a click of an entry device at a single location canprovide the manager with a wide variety of information, the manager doesnot have to take the time to personally extract the information frommultiple sources. The information only has to be captured once before itcan be disseminated to multiple locations and used in a variety ofdifferent ways. Moreover, the manager can manipulate and categorize theinformation quickly such that the resulting screen display or reportprovides an efficient use of the manager's valuable time. Therefore, themanager does not waste time gathering information since the collectionof the information is preformed by a computer processor.

[0052] Another particular advantage of the present invention is theability to scope both labor task completion status and material deliverystatus from a selectable option. A drop-down pick list is generated inresponse to updating either a labor task or a material status. The areaof the update is entered into the pick list. The intelligence of theprocessor searches for the construction items located within thedesignated area entered into the pick list. The processor thenautomatically updates the status of the construction items in thedefined area.

[0053] A contractor may enter the installation status for a particularlabor task, which aids in the crediting of estimated labor to theproject and allocation of actual labor data to the various constructionitems. For example, a contractor may enter status information into thepick list as described above or carry a PDA with a visual depiction ofthe computer drawing and associated intelligent objects. The contractormay then walk around the job site and visually inspect the items thathave been installed. The PDA may be used to capture such information andstore it in memory. In another embodiment, the contractor may use areader to capture the information from an emissive tag, such as a RFIDtag (Radio Frequency Identification tag), associated with each item. Theprocessor may then acquire the information from the PDA or reader andupdate the stored information accordingly. As one skilled in the art canappreciate, a contractor may acquire material status information fromother sources including but not limited to, capturing installed items onvideo, photographing installed items and manually entering, verballycalling out installed items and the like.

[0054] Another particular advantage of the present invention is theability to allocate actual labor to the construction project andthereafter compare actual labor against estimated labor. Estimated laborinformation may be acquired from an estimating system. The informationis usually based upon either an estimate or bid for a project orhistorical data in a database. This information is either acquiredautomatically or entered manually and subsequently stored in computermemory.

[0055] Actual labor data for the project may be either acquired directlyfrom the field using a worker's time card or extracted from anaccounting package. In one embodiment, a construction worker entershours worked and the area worked at the end of a work day. It isunnecessary for the worker to allocate hours to a particular task.Instead, the worker simply enters the number of hours worked and thelocation worked, e.g. the second floor. Then, the labor information istransferred to a job cost program, which is typically an accountingsoftware package. In one embodiment, instead of a traditional time card,a bar coded electronic time card may be used to automatically captureactual labor hours from a construction worker. The bar coding on thetime card is associated with a particular task or area. The electronictime card therefore automatically breaks the hours worked into the areaor task. The worker simply enters his or her hours on the properelectronic time card for an area or task, and the time cardautomatically allocates the hours to the area or task. In anotherembodiment, labor is captured in the field and added to a FieldTracModule manufactured and sold by QuickPen International, Inc. Data mayalso be acquired from an accounting program and downloaded into aFieldTrac Module to achieve the same result. In yet another embodiment,labor may be entered into a read/write emissive tag associated withconstruction items and read automatically using a reader, as mentionedabove.

[0056] Actual labor data for the project may be allocated to theconstruction project in a number of different ways. In one embodiment,the present invention extracts the actual labor information from a jobcost program and allocates the actual labor information to the variousjob components based upon the material installation status. For example,if the contractor has indicated that certain hangers on the second floorhave been installed in a given week, all of the labor allocated to thatfloor for the week is associated with hanger installation. Such anarrangement eliminates the need for detailed task codes that arecurrently used in most accounting programs.

[0057] Once the labor information is entered into the system, theprocessor flags the intelligent objects with visual indicators, such ascolor coding, which visually represent underlying status information.Since the visual indicators are easy to understand, a manager mayquickly analyze the labor status information on the electronic drawing.If so desired, the manager may define a subset of a job for thegeneration of a report that provides greater detail.

[0058] Still another advantage of the present invention is the abilityto monitor and track materials used for a construction project. Similarto labor information, material information may be acquired from anestimator program, CAD or purchasing program or a pricing service. Thisinformation is also stored in computer memory.

[0059] Materials may then be ordered and tracked once the underlyinginformation for a construction item is entered into the system. Acomputer drawing displays the current material status using visualindicators. If so desired, the user may select a single constructionitem or a group of construction items for ordering. In response, theorder is automatically sent to one or more suppliers or fabricators withthe accompanying information such as part number and bar code number toname a few.

[0060] Once a shipment is received at the job site, the status of theshipment may be further tracked. For example, the recipient mayconveniently scan the items using a hand-held bar code scanner. Theinformation scanned into a hand-held scanner can be downloaded intocomputer memory. Since the bar code information is associated with aconstruction item, the computer can determine which items have beenreceived and update accordingly. In addition, the computer candetermine, track and update damaged items, backordered items orincomplete shipments to name a few. In another example, the materialstatus update is entered into a pick list as described earlier. Thestatus of the material and the corresponding location for installationare entered and automatically updated by the processor. In yet anotherembodiment, emissive tags may be used to acquire more detailedinformation than a bar code scanner. However, as one skilled in the artcan appreciate, other arrangements may be used instead of a bar codescanner or emissive tag reader without departing from the intended scopeand coverage of the invention, such as visual inspection, manual entryor the like.

[0061] Yet another advantage of the present invention is the ability toautomatically update scheduling information in response to changes inmaterial and labor information. In response to labor and materialissues, the processor can automatically update installation datesaccordingly. For example, if a material shipment is delayed andtherefore unavailable for a particular area, then labor is unnecessaryfor that part of the job and can be directed elsewhere. The installationdate associated with the area effected would then be updated to reflectthe change in status. In addition, scheduling can also prioritize andallocate incomplete material shipments. For example, if ten valves wereordered and only eight were received, the scheduler could prioritizewhere the eight valves should be allocated according to currentscheduling information and available labor information. In any case, theelectronic drawing reflects the current status of the installation. Thisinformation can be entered into a report based upon dates, areas, taskcodes and construction items to name a few.

[0062] Referring now to the drawings, the systems and methods of theinvention will now be described in greater detail. FIG. 1 illustratesone possible system of associated components for implementing thepresent invention. The present invention, which also may be referred toherein as a Field Track system 1, may be coupled to a CAD system 3and/or an estimating software package 2. Either CAD system 3 orestimating software package 2 may exchange data with Field Track system1. In addition, a wireless computer 6 may be used to input data to FieldTrack system 1. CAD system 3 and estimating software package 2 may alsobe coupled to each other to facilitate the exchange of data. Asillustrated, data may also be exchanged between Field Track system 1 andtime card input 5 and/or accounting software package 4. As shown inexpanded window 7, several possible approaches for displaying the datafrom Field Track system 1 include, but are in no way limited to, alaptop computer 8, a monitor 9 or a color coded drawing 11. It should beappreciated by one skilled in the art that some or all of the abovereferenced components may be connected via a LAN, WAN, wireless, web/ASPor the like.

[0063] Referring now to FIG. 1(a), an example of a flat screen computersystem 10 used to input information and execute software of anembodiment of the present invention will be described. Computer system10 may include a screen 12 and input controls 14. Computer system 10 isillustrated as portable, which allows for ease of use in the field.Computer system 10 may also be fitted with an antenna for wirelesscommunication, which is not shown in FIG. 1.

[0064] Computer system 10 as shown in FIG. 1(a) is but one example of acomputer system suitable for use with the present invention. Otherconfigurations suitable for use with the present invention, such as apersonal digital assistant (PDA), a hand-held computer, a bar codescanner, an emissive tag reader 44 (FIG. 1), or the like will be readilyapparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Suitable configurationsmay be adaptable for use in a wireless or satellite environment.

[0065] As stated previously, one embodiment of the invention utilizes acomputer drawing having intelligent objects. The computer drawing can beany computer drawing sufficient to display construction items, includinga CAD drawing, a CAD/CAM drawing, or any drawing from a softwarepackage. The present invention provides the capability for enhancingeach object in a drawing by creating a more intelligent object byassociating tag information.

[0066] FIGS. 2, 2(a), 2(b), 2(c), 2(d), and 2(e) show an example of anintelligent object with associated tag information. For purposes ofexplanation, the invention is described in terms of a 6″ Nibco GateValve 30. However, it will be appreciated that each item of a drawingmay have similar tag information. In some embodiments, an emissive tag31 (FIG. 2(e)) is associated with each item. As shown in chart 32, theuser may assign many unique characteristics to the intelligent object.For example, object 30 is assigned a model number and associated barcode for material tracking purposes. Also shown are the system, area andthe drawing identifiers for the item, which in the illustrated exampleare chill water (CHW), mechanical equipment (Mech Equip) and drawingM-34-B respectively.

[0067] The tag information also includes drill down information, in thiscase material control 34, labor control 36, schedule 38 and billing 40.Tag information is by its very nature user defined, so it can be enteredmanually or it can also be obtained automatically.

[0068] Material control information 34 contains, among other things, thecurrent status of the intelligent object. In the illustrated example,object 30 is on back order. If the drawing were displayed and this partwas in the drawing, it would be shown having a status identifierindicating the part was on back order. A manager can therefore quicklyscan the drawing to immediately determine the respective status of theparts based upon the status identifier, which in the case of theillustrated embodiment is a highlight color.

[0069] Labor control information contains both the estimated labor unit,which is often obtained from an estimating program, and the work inplace (WIP) for intelligent object 30, which in the illustrated exampleare 4.34 hours and 3.96 hours respectively. If this part was illustratedon the drawing according to labor, the respective labor task identifierwould reflect the fact that it has completed the joint make up point ofthe process.

[0070] The invention is described hereinafter in terms of a CAD drawingintegrated with an estimating system having intelligent objects thatprovide both displayable and printable information relating to theassociated items, either individually or as groups. It should be readilyapparent from the description that an estimating system may also be anintegral part of a CAD drawing. Such information may include, but is notlimited to, estimated and actual labor data, estimated and actualmaterial data, current status information, completion information,scheduling information and the like. As one skilled in the art canappreciate, the invention is not limited to an electronic drawingintegrated with an estimating system. For example, the invention couldbe embodied in an estimating system having a graphical takeoff withintelligent objects.

[0071] As mentioned previously, emissive tags may be associated witheach item. Emissive tags are well known, one example of which is RFIDtags. RFID tags emit radio frequency signals that represent certaininformation. RFID tags are more fully explained in AIM WP-98/002R,“RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION—RFID-A BASIC PRIMER,” published on Sep.28, 1999, by Automatic Identification Manufacturers—AIM, athttp://www.aimglobal.org/technologies/rfid/resources/papers/rfid_basics_primer.htm, which paper is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.Other emissive tags may emit other signals, such as microwave, infrared,and the like, which represent the information. In some embodiments, theinformation is merely a unique identification number, much like a barcode number, that may be associated with the tagged item. In otherembodiments, the information includes more detailed information, as willbe explained. However, unlike a bar code that must be scanned, emissivetag information may be read from greater distances, and emissive taginformation may be read from many emissive tags simultaneously. Forexample, a contractor may be able to simply enter a work area, such asduring a site walk-through, and instantly read emissive tag informationfrom all emissive tags in the area at once. Such techniques also may beused to read the entire content of a delivery. Readers also may bepositioned at key locations, such as a receiving dock or warehouse exit,to passively monitor the location status of construction items. FIG.2(e) illustrates one possible arrangement for using emissive tagsaccording to the present invention.

[0072]FIG. 2(e) illustrates the gate valve 30 and an emissive tag 31. Anemissive tag reader 42 reads information for one or more emissive tags31 through a wireless connection. The information then may betransferred, via an interface 44, to the wireless computer 6 or directlyto the Field Track system 1, for example. The information then may beused throughout the Field Track system 1 to provide project managementinformation. For example, if the gate valve 30 is installed, theemissive tag 31 may be read by the reader 42 in a “read installed items”mode. Thereafter, the information is transferred to the Field Tracksystem 1. The gate valve 30 also may appear having a particular color inan electronic or paper drawing that indicates the item is installed. Acontractor may then access the material control information 34, byselecting the item. An “installation status” field (not shown) wouldindicate that the item is installed. Other examples are explained below.

[0073] Emissive tags may include read/write memory, while other emissivetags include read only memory. Some emissive tags only emit signals uponinterrogation, while others have power sources, allowing the emissivetag to continuously emit the stored information. Some emissive tags usepower emitted from the reader to, in turn, cause the emission ofinformation from the tag. Further, certain emissive tags, in particular,powered RFID tags, emit signals that may be read from great distances.For example, some emissive tags may be read in transit, in which casethe emissive tag may be coupled with a positioning system, such as aGlobal Positioning System (GPS), that allows the exact position of anyitem to be known. Thus, in some embodiments, emissive tags allow an itemto be tracked from manufacture, through shipping, to final installationand beyond. All are within the scope of the present invention.

[0074]FIG. 2(e) also illustrates an emissive tag writer 46 that may beused by a contractor, a worker, a manufacturer, or the like, to loadinformation into a read/write emissive tag. In these embodiments, thereader 42 may gather even more detailed information relating to theitem. For example, emissive tags may be loaded with any or all of theitem tag information discussed herein. Emissive tags may be loaded withinformation relating to the location where the tagged item is to beinstalled. Emissive tags also may be loaded with information relating tothe drawing or drawings upon which the construction item appears. Inanother example, the estimated labor, cost, and schedule information maybe loaded into the emissive tag. Additionally, actual installation labormay be loaded into the emissive tag as a construction item is installed.Emissive tags may include additional item status information thatindicates, for example, whether the item has been tested and even thetest results. In such embodiments, the contractor may use the reader 42to read the information into memory associated with the reader. Theinformation then may be loaded into the Field Track system 1 and used aspreviously described. Many other uses of emissive tags according to thepresent invention are apparent to those skilled in the art in light ofthis description. Thus, the foregoing examples are not to be consideredlimited to RFID tags.

[0075] Referring now to FIG. 3, a specific example of a CAD drawing 48with several intelligent objects 54 having associated tag information inaccordance with the present invention is illustrated. In the illustratedexample, labor information is shown for a pipe run. The intelligentobjects contained in the drawing are given task identifiers, or colorcoding, (which for convenience of illustration are shown as differentshading) according to their present completion status. For example, item54, illustrated as unshaded, reflects construction item(s) that havereached the tested stage. Legend 50 illustrates a sample color schemefor the task identifiers that reflect the completion status with respectto labor control. These may include, for example, a yellow color forhighlighting items that are in place and a blue color for highlightingitems that are tested. Pointer 52 may be manipulated by a user to pointand click on individual intelligent items or draw a box around a groupof intelligent items to flag the items.

[0076] Labor status update button 56 allows a user to update thecompletion status for the labor tasks associated with the illustratedintelligent objects. In the illustrated example, selecting button 56generates a labor status menu for selecting and updating the completionstatus of the construction items for the various labor tasks illustratedin legend 50. In a like manner, material status update button 58 allowsa user to update the material status, scheduling button 60 allows a userto manipulate scheduling information and billing button 62 allows a userto manipulate billing information.

[0077] In FIG. 3, drawing 48 is a CAD drawing. However, any electronicdrawing that can be manipulated may be used. In use, the intelligentobjects are associated with tag data. Tag data may include, but is notlimited to, labor information, material information and schedulinginformation, where scheduling information may be an estimated start dateand an estimated completion date. Tag data may be automatically obtainedor entered manually. The associated tag data is stored on a computerusable medium such as a server or database for future use.

[0078] To display the data, the user selects a portion of the drawing.To do so, the user may double click on a single intelligent item, dropdown a pick list, draw a box around several intelligent items, click ona beginning point and an ending point or the like. A group of severalintelligent items is referred to herein as a labor task group. The dataassociated with the selected intelligent object or objects aredisplayed.

[0079] Labor Tracking

[0080] The present invention provides labor tracking for organizing andmonitoring the labor associated with various construction items. Forexample, estimated labor is received and stored by a labor module.Estimated labor may be based upon historical data received from anestimating software package, or it may be manually entered based upon anaccepted bid or contract. The labor module of the invention providestechniques for storing the estimated labor information and also forassociating the information with the various construction items.

[0081] A contractor may then update a labor task status for the project,which aids in the allocation of actual labor data and crediting ofestimated labor for the various construction items. Typically, thevarious stages of labor are grouped and categorized according to labortasks. Labor tasks divide a general labor event into specific tasks,which may start at material receipt and proceed to final inspection.Examples of specific tasks include labor events such as receiving anitem, installing an item or testing the item to name a few. Since labortasks are more detailed, they provide a more manageable way to handlelabor status information as well as present more useful information thansimple start and stop information.

[0082] In one embodiment, a contractor may enter information into adrop-down pick list to update labor task status. A contractor begins byselecting a labor task from a labor status menu. The selection of alabor task generates a drop-down pick list. The drop-down pick listdisplays the filtering options available to further specify the identityand location of a completed labor task. In other words, the filteringoptions define the respective area of the completed labor tasks. Oncethe contractor has defined the area, and specified which labor task(s)are complete, the invention automatically updates the informationassociated with the respective intelligent object(s). In response, theelectronic drawing is updated showing the current status for the flaggeditems. Estimated labor for the completed labor task(s) are also creditedto the construction project.

[0083] In another embodiment, a contractor may have a PDA with a visualdepiction of the computer drawing and associated intelligent objects. Inthis way, the contractor may walk around the job site and visuallyinspect the items that have been installed. The PDA may be used tocapture such information and store it in memory. The processor may thenacquire the information from the PDA and update the stored informationaccordingly.

[0084] As mentioned previously, the contractor also may determineinstallation status information, using the reader 42, from emissive tagsassociated with items. Such information may include the actual laborused to install each item. For example, in embodiments having read-onlyemissive tags, an intelligent reader may determine the installationstatus of an item by determining the item's elevation. For example,items located above a certain elevation may be assumed to be installed.In embodiments having a positioning system coupled with the emissivetag, the item's elevation may be included in the information emitted bythe emissive tag. Further still, in embodiments having read/writeemissive tags, actual labor information, as well as the installationstatus of the item, may be read from the emissive tag. Many otherexamples are possible.

[0085] Periodically, actual labor is captured and entered into the labormodule. The data capture of actual labor may be done automatically ormanually. Typically, a construction worker enters hours worked and thearea worked at the end of a work day. It is unnecessary for the workerto allocate hours to a particular task. In response, the presentinvention allocates the entered actual labor information to the variousjob components based upon the labor installation status entered into thedrop-down pick lists or captured from the PDA. The module thereafterassociates the actual labor information with the various constructionitems and stores the information on computer readable memory. As an itemor groups of items are installed, workers may use the writer 46 to enterinformation, such as actual labor information, into an emissive tag.

[0086] Once both actual labor and estimated labor are entered into themodule, reports may be generated for a wide variety of comparisons. Inaddition, the electronic drawing displays graphical indicators thatrepresent the labor status for the various construction items. Aconstruction manager can quickly analyze the current labor status of theproject.

[0087]FIG. 4 illustrates a typical labor control drawing 101 havingseveral construction items 100 (in the form of intelligent objects) inaccordance with an example of a labor module of the present invention.The drawing is shown as being color (or shaded) coded with flagged taskidentifiers to display the labor status for various intelligent objects.In the illustrated embodiment, the legend for the task identifiers 110is in the lower right hand corner. Legend 110 quickly gives a user thenecessary information to associate the color (or shade) with a laborstatus for an intelligent object 100. The ability to quickly evaluatelabor is important for the construction project manager.

[0088]FIG. 4(a) shows a labor status menu 102 listing various labortasks. Typically, labor status menu 102 is generated in response toselecting a labor status option from labor control drawing 101. In oneembodiment, the labor status option is an intelligent button 103, shownin FIG. 4, that displays the labor status menu 102 in response to a userselection. Labor status menu 102 lists a labor status task list 104 witha corresponding selection means 109, such as an intelligent button orthe like. In the illustrated example of FIG. 4(a), six labor taskoptions are shown. Continuing with the illustrated example, thecontractor selects one of the six options when the labor is completedfor a labor task.

[0089]FIG. 4(a) illustrates drop-down pick list 105 displayed inresponse to a contractor selecting a task listed in labor task list 104from labor status menu 102. Drop-down pick list 105 allows thecontractor to pin-point the exact location of the completed labortask(s). Pick list 105 provides a “filter by” option to identify thegeneral location of the completed labor task. In the illustratedexample, a user may select a location such as a drawing, floor, line,system or zone to name a few. One or more filtering options may beselected.

[0090] Continuing, FIG. 4(a) illustrates a second menu 106 generated inresponse to a contractor choosing a “filter by” option from drop-downpick list 105. The second menu further specifies and defines the “filterby” choice from drop-down pick list 105. In the illustrated example, thegeneral location “drawing” is chosen from pick list 105. In response,second menu 106 requests entry of the specific drawing location for thecompleted labor task.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 4(a), a second menu 107, 108 may be generatedand displayed for each “filter by” option selected from drop-down picklist 105. The general location “system” is selected from pick list 105.Second menu 107 requests entry of the specific system for the completedlabor. Continuing, the general location “zone” is selected from picklist 105. In response, second menu 108 is generated requesting entry ofthe particular zone for the completed labor information. In accordancewith the present invention, more than one “filter by” option may beselected and further scoped to accurately specify and delineate thelocation of the completed labor task(s).

[0092] For example, assume the contractor has determined that hangersare installed on the drawing M1 for the chill water system in themechanical room. The contractor first selects the hanger option fromlabor status menu 105. Next, the contractor defines the area where thehangers are installed. For the current example, the contractor selectsdrawing, system and zone from the drop-down pick list. In response, asecond menu is displayed for each selection in status menu 105. Thecontractor selects drawing M1, CHW (chill water) and Mech Room(mechanical room) from the corresponding second menu options. When thecontractor is satisfied the designated area is properly defined usingselection status menu 105, the processor updates the association data.In this case, the processor searches and locates all hangers in thisdefined area and updates the intelligent objects to indicate they areinstalled. The identifiers on the electronic drawing are updatedaccordingly as well as crediting the estimated hours to the project.

[0093] Continuing with the example, assume further that the inventionextracts 100 actual labor hours from a job cost program and associatesthe extracted 100 hours with the installation of the hangers on drawingM1 for the chill water system in the mechanical room. Moreover, assumefor purposes of this example that the number of estimated hours for theinstallation of the same hangers was 110 hours. Since the processor hasidentified all the hangers associated with the defined area and flaggedthem as complete with respect to labor, the 110 hours of estimated laborbecomes 110 hours of credited labor. Credited labor hours will alwaysequal estimated labor hours for a labor task(s) that is flagged in anarea or zone as complete. In this example, the flagged area has used 100hours of actual labor for a job that has allocated 110 hours ofestimated labor (which is 110 credited labor hours since the labor iscomplete). The manager is pleased since the job was over estimated by 10hours, which in this limited example represents 10 hours of additionalprofit.

[0094] It should be noted that this type of information can be used tostructure and adjust future bids and also to update data in anestimating system database. For example, if subsequent jobs continue tocome in several hours over the bid amount for the installation ofhangers, the existing estimating data can be modified to reflect thiscontinued differential. This improved data would then be saved forfuture bids. As a result, subsequent bids after the update would becloser to the mark with respect to labor for installation of hangers.

[0095]FIG. 5 illustrates an example of how various reports relating tolabor may be generated for the items displayed in FIG. 4. The reportsmay be generated using a graphical user interface 120 having variousplaces to enter data and specify parameters. The user is given variouschoices to further narrow how the report is displayed. For example, ascope region 170 is provided to permit by a user to designate a drawingnumber, a room, a particular grouping of construction items or the like.An item filter region 180 may be used to show all items or any chosensubset of items. A report filter region 150 may be used to indicate thetype of report the user wishes to generate. In the illustrated example,a user has chosen to illustrate a comparison of actual labor toestimated labor, however, any number of report filters can be used,including but not limited to drawing, floor, line, symbol, system, tradeor zone to name a few. TABLE 1 Labor Report Reporting Date: June 24,2000 Item Filter: All Report Filter: Estimated To Scope: Drawing M-2:CHW: Mech Rm Actual Estimated Credited Actual Hours % TASK Hours HoursHours Ov/Un Ov/Un Material 97 97 86 −11 −13% Distribution Item in Place302 218 256 38 15% Joint Make Up 195 167 178 11 6% Test 19 0 0 0 Punchand I.D. 32 0 0 0 Total 645 482 520 38 7%

[0096] Table 1 illustrates one example of a labor report generated by auser. The user has selected a particular report filter for comparingactual labor to estimated labor. In addition, the user has specified ascope of drawing M-2, chill water piping (CHW) and the mechanical room(Mech Rm). The scope may be used to narrow or expand the location of theintelligent objects the user wishes to view in a report.

[0097] Estimated hours are displayed in column 2 of Table 1 for thevarious Tasks in column 1. The estimated labor hours may be capturedautomatically from an estimating program, however, they may be obtainedelsewhere. As shown, actual hours are displayed in column 4 of Table 1for the various Tasks in column 1. Actual hours may be manually enteredinto the system or they may be obtained from another information source.For example, actual hours may be manually entered from time cards orautomatically obtained from an accounting program or an electronic timecard module. Credited hours shown in column 3 of Table 1 are hours thathave been credited to the particular task of the project in column 1.When the task is complete, the credited hours will equal the estimatedhours.

[0098] Table 1 represents a simple yet effective example of how theinvention can be used by a construction project manager to evaluatelabor for a construction project. As is readily apparent from theillustrated table, the information is brief, accurate and easy to readand analyze. In the illustrated example of Table 1, a manager can lookat the estimated labor and the actual labor to determine theefficiencies and inefficiencies for the specified scope. If he/shedetermines the area to be overly efficient, labor could possibly bedirected elsewhere to cure efficiencies in other locations. Conversely,if labor is found to be inefficient in the area specified by the scope,such inefficiencies may be addressed. TABLE 2 Labor Status ReportReporting May 21, 2000 through June 29, 2000 Report Date June 28, 2000Project 347-DF IBM Fab 8 Scope By: System Drawing: Estimated ProjectedAdditional % Zone Complete Estimated hours To Hours to Hours to CreditedActual Labor Hours % System Drawing Area/Zone Status Hours CompleteComplete Complete Hours Hours Used OV/Un Ov/Un CHW M-2 Mech Rm 645 22 2522 623 702 109% 79 11% HHW M-2 Mech Rm 523 114 109 409 417 80% 8 2% CDWM-2 Mech Rm 156 0 0 24 156 187 120% 31 17% CHW M-3 East Wing Yes 421 0 0421 411 98% −10 −2% HHW M-3 East Wing Yes 391 0 0 391 423 108% 32 8% CHWM-4 West Wing 488 488 488 0% 0 HHW M-4 West Wing 392 392 392 0% 0 Total3016 1016 1014 46 2000 2140 66% 140 6% Hours to complete current 1060138 productivity Hours to complete current productivity-Based on % 1077201 Over/Under Cost Per Hour $45.00 $48,463 $9,043 Estimated FromConnect- Hours Est Credited From Field Trac Hours Actual Hours FromFieldTrac Time Capture or Job Cost/Payroll

[0099] Table 2 shows a labor status report, which provides a greateramount of detail than the labor report of Table 1. In Table 2, the useragain specifies the scope of the report. In this case, the user haschosen to view labor data by System; Drawing; Zone. As such, a report isgenerated as shown in Table 2 showing all the systems, the correspondingdrawing and the area or zone where the system is located.

[0100] The information provided in Table 2 displays estimated hours,actual hours and credited hours similar to Table 1. However, Table 2provides additional information that assists the project manager inassessing the status of labor for the chosen scope. Table 2 provides acompletion status column that allows for a manager to quickly assesswhich areas are done and ready for billing. Table 2 also providesvarious estimations and projections for the number of labor hoursrequired to complete a particular system. This information allows amanager to determine what locations still require additional labor,which allows the manager to take quick and decisive corrective action.In addition, the report of Table 2 provides the user with a % laborfigure and % over/under figure, which gives the user a quick answer tothe efficiency for a particular system. TABLE 3 Labor Task Code ReportReporting Period May 21, 2000 through June 28, 2000 Report Date: June29, 2000 Project 347-DF IBM Fab 8 Scope By: Drawing M-2 CompleteEstimated Credited Actual % Hours % Task Code Status Hours Hours HoursComplete Ov/Un Ov/Un Material 10 Yes 198 198 178 100% −20 −10%Distribution Hangers 20 Yes 394 394 431 100% 37 9% Layout/Inserts 21 0 00 0% 0 0% Item In Place 30 Yes 331 331 356 100% 25 8% Joint Make Up 40295 238 277 81% 39 16% Test 50 40 27 33 68% 6 0% Punch & I.D. 60 66 0 310% 31 0% Total 1324 1188 1306 90% 118 10% Credit Hours Actual Hours fromFieldTrac Time Capture or Job Cost/Payroll

[0101] Table 3 shows a labor task code report, which provides a greateramount of completion detail than the labor reports of Table 1 and Table2. In Table 3, the user again specifies the scope of the report. In thiscase, the user has chosen to view labor data by a particular drawing. Assuch, a report is generated as shown in Table 3 showing all the Tasksfor drawing M-2 along with the corresponding task codes. The Labor TaskCode Report is another way of visually presenting the hours andcompletion status. In this case, the report shows the % complete statusfor the Tasks of column 1 for a particular drawing. Such information ishelpful for the manager for the purpose of quickly assessing what tasksstill need attention.

[0102] As shown in the lower left hand corner of Table 3, the creditedhours of column 5 may be obtained from a second application. Similarly,the actual hours shown in column 6 may also be captured from a secondsystem or application, which is shown in the illustrated example as JobCost/Payroll. As one skilled in the art can appreciate, the examplesgiven are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention to therecited applications and as such any suitable application may be used inplace of the examples given. TABLE 4 Hours to Complete Report ReportingPeriod: May 21, 2000 through June 28, 2000 Report Date: June 12, 2000Project 347-DF IBM Fab 8 Scope By: Drawing M-2 Projected CompleteEstimated Credited Unused Additional Hours to Task Code Status HoursHours Hours Hours Complete Material 10 Yes 198 198 0 0 0 DistributionHangers 20 Yes 394 394 0 0 0 Layout/Inserts 21 0 0 0 0 0 Item In Place30 Yes 331 331 0 0 0 Joint Make Up 40 295 238 57 38 95 Test 50 40 27 138 21 Punch & I.D. 60 66 0 66 0 66 Total 1324 1188 136 46 182 CreditHours From FieldTrac Actual Hours From FieldTrac Time Capture or JobCost/Payroll

[0103] Table 4 illustrates the same information as Table 1, with theaddition of unused hours for a particular task as well as projectedadditional hours for a task. The user has selected to view theinformation by drawing M-2, but other scopes may be chosen as well. Theinformation of Table 4 allows a construction manager to assessover/under labor hours. As such, the manager can catch the efficienciesor inefficiencies early enough to rectify the potential problem. TABLE 5Work in Place (WIP) Report Reporting Period May 21, 2000 through June28, 2000 Report Date: June 29, 2000 Project 347-DF IBM Fab 8 Scope By:All Drawings Complete Estimated Credited Actual % Drawing Status HoursHours Hours Complete M-1 723 629 705 87% M-2 1324 1188 1306 90% M-3 Yes812 812 187 100% M-4 880 0 0 0% M-5 478 196 215 41% M-6 488 0% M-7 3920% Total 5097 2825 2413 55% Credit Hours From FieldTrac Actual HoursFrom FieldTrac Time Capture or Job Cost/Payroll

[0104] Table 5 illustrates a WIP report, which provides a quick view ofthe completion status for the various construction items. In theillustrated example, all the drawings for the construction project areshown. The scope of the table may be changed to view particularlocations or groups of construction items.

[0105] There are numerous additional filters that are not illustratedbut are equally as effective for displaying data. The additionalexamples are not shown for sake of brevity, but one skilled in the artcould list numerous combinations of scope, items and the correspondinginformation to view in a report.

[0106] Material Tracking

[0107] The invention further provides material tracking for thematerials used for the construction project. For example, materialinformation relating to the type of item to be installed is received andstored by a material module. The module of the invention thereafterprovides techniques for conveniently tracking the material from orderingthrough installation and billing.

[0108] More particularly, the material module allows a contractor totrack material delivery status from an electronic drawing. Specificmaterial information associated with each item, such as a bar code, amaterial item identifier and the like is entered into the system. Acontractor can order material items by simply selecting any intelligentitem or group of intelligent items from the electronic drawing. In oneembodiment, the module is integrated with a purchase order softwarepackage that generates an order when intelligent items are selected.

[0109] In one embodiment, a contractor may enter information into adrop-down pick list to update material status. First, a contractorselects a material status from a material status menu. The selection ofa material status generates a drop-down pick list. The drop-down picklist displays the filtering options available to further specify theidentity and location for the material status. Once the contractor hasdefined the area, and specified the material status, the inventionautomatically updates the information associated with the respectiveintelligent object(s). In response, the electronic drawing is updatedshowing the current status for the flagged items. In one embodiment, theitems in an electronic drawing are color coded according to theirstatus.

[0110] In another embodiment, when materials are received, thecorresponding bar code is scanned by a bar code scanner or other methodsof flagging. The status information is automatically sent to thematerial module. The processor may be used to update the information,which is reflected in the electronic drawing. A quick visual inspectionof the electronic drawing provides simple and up-to-date informationregarding material status. As one skilled in the art can appreciate,other methods of capturing material status may be used without departingfrom the intended scope of the invention.

[0111] For example, FIG. 6 illustrates a typical material controldrawing 201 having several construction items 200 in accordance with theinvention. The drawing is shown as being color (or shaded) coded withflagged task identifiers to display the material status for variousintelligent objects. In the illustrated embodiment, the legend for thetask identifiers 210 is in the lower left hand corner. Legend 210quickly gives a user the necessary information to associate a color witha material status for an intelligent object 200. For example, legend 210may indicate items that are on back order or items that have beendamaged. The status may easily be displayed because each item is anintelligent object having the associated status information.

[0112]FIG. 6(a) shows a material status menu 202 listing variousmaterial status options. Typically, material status menu 202 isgenerated in response to selecting a material status option frommaterial control drawing 201. In one embodiment, the material statusoption is an intelligent button 203, shown in FIG. 6, that displays thematerial status menu 202 in response to a user selection. Materialstatus menu 202 lists a material status list 205 with a correspondingselection means 204, such as an intelligent button or the like. In theillustrated example of FIG. 6(a), five status options are shown.Continuing with the illustrated example, the contractor selects one ofthe five options when the material status changes.

[0113]FIG. 6(a) illustrates a drop-down pick list 206 displayed inresponse to a contractor selecting a status item listed in materialstatus list 205 from material status menu 202. Drop-down pick list 206allows the contractor to pin-point the exact location of the updatedmaterial status. Pick list 206 provides a “filter by” option to identifythe general location of the material status update. In the illustratedexample, a user may select a location such as a drawing, floor, line,system or zone to name a few. One or more filtering options may beselected.

[0114] Continuing, FIG. 6(a) illustrates a second menu 207 generated inresponse to a contractor choosing a “filter by” option from drop-downpick list 206. The second menu further specifies and defines the “filterby” choice from drop-down pick list 207. In the illustrated example, thegeneral location “drawing” is chosen from pick list 206. In response,second menu 207 requests entry of the specific drawing for the updatedmaterial status.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 6(a), a second menu 208, 209 may be generatedand displayed for each “filter by” option selected from drop-down picklist 206. The general location “system” is selected from pick list 206.Second menu 208 requests entry of the specific system for the updatedmaterial status information. Continuing, the general location “zone” isselected from pick list 206. In response, second menu 209 is generatedrequesting entry of the particular zone for the updated material statusinformation. In accordance with the present invention, more than one“filter by” option may be selected and further scoped to accuratelyspecify the location of the updated material status information.

[0116] For example, assume that valves have been received for drawingM-1 for the chill water system in the mechanical room. The contractorfirst selects the received option from material status menu 202. Next,the contractor defines the area where the valves are to be installed.For the current example, the contractor selects drawing, system and zonefrom the drop-down pick list. In response, a second menu is displayedfor each selection in material status menu 206. The contractor selectsdrawing M-1, CHW (chill water) and Mech Room (mechanical room) from thecorresponding second menu options. When the contractor is satisfied thedesignated area is properly defined using selection status menu 206, theprocessor updates the association data. In this case, the processorsearches and locates all valves in this defined area and updates theintelligent objects to indicate they are received. The identifiers onthe electronic drawing are updated and color coded accordingly toreflect the change in material status.

[0117] The user may order the material shown on the material controldrawing 201 simply by clicking a mouse on a construction item, drawing abox around construction items to be ordered, specifying a start pointand an end point in a run of material or the like. The information issent to an ordering system that places the material order.

[0118]FIG. 7 illustrates an example of how various reports relating tomaterial may be generated for the items displayed in FIG. 6. FIG. 7illustrates how a report may be generated using a graphical userinterface 220 having various places to enter data and specifyparameters. For example, for each item in column 270, the ordered andnot ordered data may be entered as shown in columns 240 and 250. Inanother embodiment, material information can be acquired and enteredfrom a bar code scanner. A scanner identifies the material and thenallows for a user to enter the status information into the scanningdevice. This information is then stored on a computer readable mediumfor future use.

[0119] In addition, a user is given various choices to further narrowhow a report is displayed. For example, a scope region 280 may be chosenby a user, and may designate a drawing number, a room, a particulargrouping of construction items or the like. An item filter 260 may beused to show all items or any chosen subset of items. A status filter290 indicates the type of material status report the user wants togenerate. In the illustrated example, a user has chosen to illustrateall materials ordered but not received, however, any number of statusfilters may be used. TABLE 6 Material not Received Report ReportingDate: June 24, 2000 Status Filter: Not Received Scope: Drawing M-2 LineNot On Item Filter: All Back Item # Ordered Ordered Hold ReleasedReceived Ordered Damaged 6″ Nibco Valve 248 17954A Yes 4″ Nibco Valve311 17954A Yes 6 × 6 × 4 Tee 346 Yes 6 × 6 × 3 Tee 386 Yes 8″ Elbow 4291854A Yes CHJ-1 Trane Chiller 1238 2147A Yes Data Link to Purchase OrderModule

[0120] Table 6 illustrates an example of a report showing materials thathave not been received. The chosen scope for the illustrated example isdrawing M-2. The chosen status filter is “not received” and the itemfilter is set to “all items.” Any number of combinations are availableto the user. As shown, status information for the various items incolumn 1 that have not been received are displayed. The constructionmanager can analyze the various columns to determine the status of theparticular item. TABLE 7 Material Ordered Report Report Date: July 23,2000 Scope: Drawing Status Filter: Ordered Item Filter: Valves M-2 LineP.O. Date Scheduled Shipping Item # Number Ordered Shipping Date CarrierNumber 6″ Nibco Valve 248 17954A June 14, 2000 July 24, 2000 4″ NibcoValve 311 17954A June 14, 2000 July 10, 2000 Roadway 283976-FL Data Linkto Purchase Order Module

[0121] Table 7 is a detailed example of a material ordered report. Theuser has specified all valves that have been ordered for drawing M-2. Assuch, the information returned provides information such as order date,scheduled shipping date, carrier information and shipping number, ifavailable, and the like. TABLE 8 Material Work in Place (WIP) ReportDate: August 9, 2000 Status Filter: Completed Item Filter: All Scope:Drawing M-2 Line Billing Billing W.I.P. Billing Billing Billing Item #Received Storage Date Completed W.I.P. Date Retention Date 4″ 90 CarbonSteel 126 May 23, 2000 $17.00 May 30, 2000 July 16, 2000 $32.30 July 30,2000 4″ Carbon Steel Pipe 127 May 23, 2000 $36.00 May 30, 2000 July 16,2000 $68.40 July 30, 2000 4″ Weldneck Flange 128 June 11, 2000 $76.00June 30, 2000 July 16, 2000 $144.40 July 30, 2000 4″ Nibco Valve 129June 12, 2000 $456.00 June 30, 2000 July 16, 2000 $866.40 July 30, 20004″ Weldneck Flange 130 June 11, 2000 $76.00 June 30, 2000 July 17, 2000$144.40 July 30, 2000 4″ Carbon Steel Pipe 131 May 23, 2000 $36.00 May30, 2000 July 17, 2000 $68.40 July 30, 2000 4″ 90 Carbon Steel 132 May23, 2000 $36.00 May 30, 2000 July 17, 2000 $68.40 July 30, 2000 Total ToDate $733.00 $1,392.70 Labor Task Code−Action Billing Module Data Linkto Purchase Order Module

[0122] Table 8 shows material work in place (WIP), which is importantfor billing purposes. Once material has been received on the job site,it is desirable to transfer the cost to the project. The above exampleshows all items that have been completed for drawing M-2. Two columnsare important on this table, the received date and the WIP completeddate. If the item is received, storage costs should be billed to theproject. Then, once the item is completed, as indicated by the WIPcompletion date, the cost of the material including associated laborshould be billed. As such, the construction project manager can quicklyscan this table to make sure the costs are being billed to theappropriate locations at the appropriate times.

[0123] It should be appreciated that the information illustrated in agenerated report for both labor and materials is the same as theinformation represented visually in a drawing. More particularly, theinformation shown in a generated table may also be visually representedas a color coded object on a drawing. For example, a contractor maygenerate a report on areas that are over or under on labor. In responseto generating a report, the visual on-screen representation of the sameinformation is updated as well. A contractor may then page throughvarious on-screen drawings while simultaneously evaluating correspondinghard copies of generated reports.

[0124] Schedule Tracking

[0125] The invention further provides schedule tracking for allocatinglabor and materials in response to start dates and completion dates. Forexample, at the beginning of a construction project, dates aretentatively set for the completion of various phases of the constructionproject and entered into a scheduling module. The module of theinvention provides techniques for recognizing scheduling problems, forexample late materials shipments and labor overruns. In response to theproblems, the module automatically updates any scheduling information inresponse to any delays.

[0126] Currently, scheduling for a construction project is difficult andtime consuming since available methods rely upon imperfect and sometimesinaccurate information. The present invention automatically updatesscheduling information based on both accurate labor and materialsinformation entered into the system. Therefore, the scheduling of thepresent invention is generated from up-to-date and highly accurateinformation, which allows a contractor to be reasonably assured thatdecisions are based on sound data.

[0127]FIG. 8 illustrates a typical schedule control drawing 301 havingseveral construction items 300, 310 in accordance with the presentinvention. The drawing is shown as being color (or shaded) coded withflagged task identifiers to display the scheduling status for variousintelligent objects. This is possible because each item is anintelligent object. In the illustrated embodiment, the legend for thetask identifiers 320 is in the lower left hand corner. Legend 320quickly gives a user the necessary information to associate a color (orshade) with a schedule status for an intelligent objects 310 and 320.Legend 320 includes a “start by date” category and a “complete by date”category. In one embodiment, a schedule status option is an intelligentbutton 303 that displays a scheduling status menu in response to a userselection. The scheduling status menu is not illustrated but operates inmuch the same manner as the material status update menu describedpreviously.

[0128]FIG. 9 illustrates an example of one technique for producingreports and for associating scheduled completion dates and actualcompletion dates with the items of FIG. 8. FIG. 9 includes a graphicaluser interface 330 having various places to enter data and specifyparameters. For example, for each item in row 380, the start date andscheduled completion dates may be entered as shown in columns 340 and350. The actual completion date is entered in column 360. Thisinformation is then stored on a computer readable medium for future use.Scheduled completion date 350 may be automatically updated according toinformation received from the labor and materials modules. For example,an entry into the labor module that indicates work has begun in aparticular location automatically updates the start date. Also, an entryinto the materials module that indicates an item on back orderautomatically updates the scheduled completion date if the anticipatedreceipt date is beyond the original scheduled completion date.

[0129] In addition, a user is given various choices to further narrowhow a report is displayed. For example, a scope region 390 may be chosenby a user, and may designate a drawing number, a room, a particulargrouping of construction items or the like. An item filter 370 may beused to show all items or any chosen subset of said items. A reportfilter 395 indicates the type of dates the user wants to generate. Inthe illustrated example, a user has chosen to illustrate all scheduledates, however, any number of status filters may be used. TABLE 9Schedule Reporting Date: June 24, 2000 Scope: Drawing M-2: CHW: Mech RmReport Filter: Scheduled Schedule Dates Completion Completed ItemFilter: All Schedule Start Date Date Date Tasks Marital June 12, 2000June 14, 2000 June 15, 2000 Distribution Hangers June 29, 2000 July 2,2000 July 5, 2000 Layout/Inserts Item in Place July 18, 2000 July 28,2000 July 26, 2000 Joint Make Up July 19, 2000 July 29, 2000 August 3,2000 Test Nov. 26, 2000 Dec. 14, 2000 Punch & I.D. May 11, 2001 June 1,2001

[0130] Table 9 shows an example of a report generated for scheduleinformation. This simple report illustrates the start date, thescheduled completion date and the completion date for the various phasesof material installation. TABLE 10 Schedule Completion Reporting Date:June 24, 2000 Report Filter: Completion Date Item Filter: All TasksFilter Date: June 27, 2000 Scheduled Scope: System; Areas Hours StartCompletion System Areas Task Complete Date Date CHW Mech Rm Hangers 86June 2, 2000 June 14, 2000 HHW Mech Rm Item In Place 253 May 21, 2000June 17, 2000 CDW Mech Rm Joint Make Up 189 May 12, 2000 June 14, 2000CHW East Wing Hangers 64 June 15, 2000 June 23, 2000 HHW East Wing JointMake Up 147 May 23, 2000 June 12, 2000

[0131] Table 10 illustrates how a contractor can further define thefilter information to obtain a greater amount of detailed information.This particular example shows the tasks for a defined area. The reportgives the hours completed for the task, as well as the start date andthe scheduled completion date. Scheduling reports provide a quick andeasy determination of the progress of a construction project.

[0132] The above description is illustrative and not restrictive. Manyvariations of the invention will become apparent to those of skill inthe art upon review of this disclosure. The scope of the inventionshould, therefore, be determined not with reference to the abovedescription, but instead should be determined with reference to theappended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of tracking and evaluating aconstruction project, the method employing a computer having a displayscreen, an entry device and a processor, the processor being coupled tosaid display screen, the method comprising: providing a drawing, saiddrawing comprising visual representations of construction items;providing an emissive tag associated with at least one constructionitem; acquiring information from said emissive tag; and displaying saiddrawing and said information on said display screen.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein said emissive tag comprises a radio frequencyidentification tag.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said informationcomprises labor status information.
 4. The method of claim 1, whereinsaid information comprises material status information.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein said emissive tag includes read/write memory.
 6. Themethod of claim 5, further comprising entering into said emissive taginformation comprising actual labor used to install a construction item.7. The method of claim 5, further comprising entering into said emissivetag, information comprising test status information relating to theconstruction item associated with the emissive tag.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising associating a positioning system with theemissive tag.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein acquiring informationincludes determining the location of the at least one construction itemassociated with the emissive tag.
 10. The method of claim 1, whereinacquiring information includes scanning information from a shipmentcomprising a plurality of construction items.
 11. The method of claim 1,wherein acquiring information includes determining the installationstatus of one or more construction items.
 12. The method of claim 1,wherein acquiring information includes determining the installationstatus of a plurality of construction items in a construction areasubstantially simultaneously.
 13. The method of claim 1, whereinacquiring information includes scanning information from the emissivetag associated with a construction item as the construction item entersor leaves a warehouse.
 14. The method of claim 1, further comprisingprocessing the information in a computing environment, wherein thecomputing environment includes an electronic representation of thedrawing, and wherein the electronic representation of the drawingcomprises one or more intelligent objects.
 15. A system for tracking andevaluating a construction project, comprising: a processor; a displayscreen coupled to the processor; an entry device configured to enterinformation into the processor; and an emissive tag reader configured toprovide information to the processor wherein the processor is configuredto: receive information that defines a construction project comprising aplurality of construction items; configure an electronic drawing basedon the information, the electronic drawing comprising at least oneintelligent object and visual representations of the plurality ofconstruction items; receive construction project status information, viathe emissive tag reader, from one or more emissive tags, each emissivetag being associated with one of the plurality of construction items;and display the electronic drawing and the construction project statusinformation on said display screen.
 16. The system of claim 15, whereinsaid emissive tag comprises a radio frequency identification tag. 17.The system of claim 15, wherein said construction project statusinformation comprises the actual labor used to install a particularconstruction item.
 18. The system of claim 15, wherein said constructionproject status information comprises the installation status of at leastone construction item.
 19. The system of claim 15, wherein saidconstruction project status information comprises the location of aparticular construction item.
 20. A computer-readable medium havingcomputer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:receiving information that defines a construction project comprising aplurality of construction items; configuring an electronic drawing basedon the information, the electronic drawing comprising at least oneintelligent object and visual representations of the plurality ofconstruction items; receiving construction project status information,via the emissive tag reader, from one or more emissive tags, eachemissive tag being associated with one of the plurality of constructionitems; and displaying the electronic drawing and the constructionproject status information on said display screen.